"Ya know, you look more and more tired every day. Maybe you should rest more often." He turned towards her. She smiled at him. Smiled like the day hadn't been shitty. Smiled like everything was going to turn out just fine.

"You givin' me recommendations on my health? Thought that was your pa's job." Daryl looked back out on the yard. He liked having a little fresh air especially after days like this. He knew he was tired. He was more tired than he had been in a long time. "Where's the girl?"

"Locked her up in the office while we went to dinner. I'll bring her back some food in a little bit. You should worry about you more. Wouldn't do anyone any good if you died of exhaustion." She was closing the space between then. He didn't have to look at her to know it. She slide down the wall right next to him. Their shoulders brushed and he had to keep himself from pulling away at the contact.

"No one kills a Dixon-"

"But a Dixon." She completed a smile still wide on her face. He looked at her then. Really studied her. Her face was thinning out. She was getting older. Her features becoming more refined. She looked tired too. She just wasn't one to complain, Daryl could respect that. He wasn't much on complaining either.

"You gonna start naggin' at me like Carol?"

"Everybody needs someone around that cares about them Daryl." She nudged him gently with her elbow. "We all care about you." Her eyes were such a crystalline blue that he had a hard time believing the girl had been through so much. She looked so pure and untouched by the world still. He wondered if she had a secret.

He looked down saw the bands covering her wrist and reconsidered.

No, she had been just as altered by the world. She was just a pure person. A better person than most all of them and that was saying something. She seemed to brush of the dirt and the blood and the pain better than all of them. She was strong. She was just strong in a different way than he was.

"You come out to ask me when I'll be in?" He asked her. Her smile dropped. She didn't want to stick to business, but that was all he had time for anymore. Pleasantries were a waste of time. He didn't even know why she was bothering with him. He was probably the worst conversationalist it the whole camp and that meant even after Baby Judith who could barely gurgle out a few words at a time.

"I mean... Yeah I was just trying to make sure you were okay." She was seeking him out, trying to make eye contact with him. "You're okay right?"

"You're the one that almost died today Beth. How bout you tell me?"Daryl pulled away from her and stood from his place on the side of cell block C. He wanted to pace. He felt trapped by her stare and frustrated with her nonchalant attitude with the whole situation.

"Daryl," He voice was calm, steady, "I'm fine. I've been fine all day. You're the one that has been acting mad." She stood too. Stood but kept her back against the wall. Her stance was casual. He missed when she used to coward away from things, it had made him feel better. Now she just took it and gave it back. That was harder to deal with.

"I think it's stupid that you're not. Ain't you upset!? Aren't you angry? What wrong with you girl?" His voice was raising again and her posture was changing. She was going to face his challenge again. He could tell by the way her shoulders began to fall back, he feet began to spread.

"You don't get to talk to me like that." He resented that her voice was still collected. How could she stay so calm?

"I can talk to you how I damn well please."

"You need to shut up Daryl. I'm tired of you doing all this. It's all bullshit." She was glaring at him now. He was glad. He was tired of all her happiness and her calm. He loved seeing a fight in somebody and in her it was especially rare.

"What do you know? You're what? Seventeen? Eighteen? You don't know shit. Nothing. You're a little girl." She was still at that, but he could see the anger building in her. The outrage at his words.

"And you're just a dick? Is that what you want me to say? Do you want me to be mad at you Daryl? Would that make it easier?"

"Easier for me to do what?"

"Push everyone away because you're afraid." He watched as her face flushed. He watched as she ran her hand across her hair. Wisps of curls came out of her pony tail. She looked wild in that moment. He felt a sensation that he hadn't felt for a long time, seeing her standing there. She was wild, uninhibited, fired up and ready to stand up to him. He didn't like the feeling.

"You don't know anything about me."

"I know enough."

Daryl wanted to shake her. Wanted to tell her how naive she was. Wanted to yell at her until she understood. She needed to understand that this girl, she wasn't going to be saved. That not everybody could be happy or good or pure.

"I'll be back to babysit your charity case in a couple hours. Don't wait up." He was going out. He was going out to get away from all of them. He needed a little time to clear his head and obviously she wasn't going to give it to him.

When he entered the room a couple hours later everything was quiet and his mind was too. Both the little girls were sleeping on one cot. The baby was laying in her play pen. Beth was laying on the couch that was in the back of the room. She wasn't Sleep. She was holding her breath. He decided to ignore her. He didn't even know how to start a conversation with her right now.

He put his stuff in a pile by the door. Thinking better of it he scooted it over. If the little one tried to get out he'd hear her. Couldn't risk it. She was a vindictive one and he'd had plenty of experience with vindictive assholes. Merle had given him more experience with them than one could take in a lifetime even without the stuff his father had done to them.

"Daryl," Beth whispered, her voice was soft again. The suddenness of her melodic voice made him want to shiver but instead he tried to roll the tension out of his shoulders.

He turned to her. Could barely make out her shape in the dark light but he knew she was looking at him. Trusted that she could see him.

"I'm sorry." He wanted to get closer to her. He wanted to ask why she would apologize when he was the one that had been an asshole.

"Me too." He looked at the empty cot that was left over. "That for me?"

"Yeah, you had a hard day. You've earned it."

"I'd rather you take it Beth."

"I know."

He could see this wasn't going to go anywhere. He could imagine the determined set of her eyes. The purse of her lips. The way her hip would be jutting out if she was standing. No. He wasn't getting anywhere with her. Stubborn, that's what she was.

"Alright."

"Thank you for doing this for me Daryl."

He couldn't manage anything but a grunt in reply. He had done more than enough talking today. He was ready to lay down. He was ready for some rest. He could hear her moving. He shifted where he stood. He wished he could see her better right now. She was easy to read with some light.

Her hands were on him again. One on his arm and another placed lightly, tentatively, on his cheek. He tried to stay still. He was increasingly uncomfortable the longer she stayed silent. She seemed to be considering him or maybe considering her words.

"I know you don't like me all too much. I can see why. I can. You're a good man Daryl Dixon. And we all appreciate that. You don't know how much." He could barely make her out in the darkness. Her blonde hair picking up what little light there was. He waited. His voice was caught in his throat but he knew she'd move away soon. What could he say to her anyway? He was never good with words. Wouldn't ever be.

Her hands fell away and suddenly he could breathe again. Daryl shook himself off, but the warmth from her hands still lingered on his skin. Someday she was going to have to learn he didn't like people touching him. The only touching he had ever had was hard and painful and now when people touched him with such softness he couldn't help but be afraid. Softness couldn't stay that way. It wasn't how life worked. Softness was deceptive. Pain was what he knew. Better the devil you know.

He could hear her shifting her weight. She was nervous. He couldn't understand why. She was always the one initiating contact with the group. She should have been nervous about touching him.

Maybe he was making it awkward? He was never taught what to do in these situations. Whatever she seemed to be thinking, she seemed to think better of it.

"Good night Daryl."

"Night," He whispered as she crossed the room. Days like these warranted a full nights rest and he doubted he'd get it. Settling in to the cot he didn't even bother to pull the sheets up. Didn't want to worry about them getting in the way if he had to get up quick to restrain a blood thirsty little girl.

His eyes fell shut quickly. He had expected them to and he hadn't been let down.

The dreams that greeted him were unexpectedly empty as if there was a calm. Usually he was met with Merle's eyes, those undead eyes that signaled the end of any semblance of his brother. Usually he heard screams, voices that clouded his judgment. A whole lot of the time his dreams had copious amounts of blood. Blood pouring from everyone he cared about and no matter what he did he couldn't stop them from bleeding out in front of him.

Sometimes he dreamed of hiding under the bed, knowing that his father would find him anyway, knowing that there was going to be pain.

But that night his dreams were empty like a field. Empty was the same thing as peaceful for him lately. He didn't get peaceful all too often.